Over the years of owning a Weber Kettle grill, I’ve heard of a number of different accessories. The one I’ve heard about the most is the Slow N’ Sear.
I figured after all these years, I’d see what the fuss was about and buy one to test and review.
Original Date of this Review: 2/11/2022.
Jump to Sections of This Review:
- What Dylan Likes About the Slow N’ Sear
- Is it absolutely necessary?
- Update after using it for nearly 2 years
What Dylan likes About the Slow N’ Sear
Put simply: The Slow N’ Sear makes using a Kettle grill easier to use in just about every way.
Traditionally, the way to use a charcoal kettle grill is to create a two-zone fire.
The fire arrangement looks like this:
In this scenario we have a cool/indirect, convection zone on the left and a hot/direct, radiant zone on the right.
Here’s a better diagram to visualize how the heat interacts with our meat:
The above is absolutely fine to do – it has worked well for me for over a decade and I still do so to this day when I’m grilling something simple like hamburgers or hot dogs.
However, smoking on a kettle grill can be a hassle.
The two most common methods that people use are:
- The Minion Method
- The Charcoal Snake
Assume you’re smoking a brisket; They typically take 1.25-1.5 hours per pound of meat – so 12.5+ hours for a 10 lb brisket.
A whole charcoal snake isn’t going to last this long. Requiring you to take the meat off the grill, take the grill grates out, and then setup a new snake.
With the Slow N’ Sear, you can simply dump the charcoal into the basket and call it good. You bank unlit charcoal to one side and have a few lit coals on the other (the basis of the minion method).
Which would you rather do?
Even lighting the charcoal is easier.
I simply grab my small butane torch, grab a firelighter or a piece of cardboard from my recycling and light one end.
I then wait 15 minutes for the coals to ash over, cover the lid, and walk away.
Meaning, I don’t have to take my chimney out, firelighter, etc. I just do everything inside the Slow N’ Sear.
The same could be said for adding water to the water pan, or adding a new wood chunk to the fire – all of these things are just more easily done with the Slow N’ Sear.
Where-as with a charcoal snake you have to move the meat or if you didn’t add enough wood chunks you have to take the grates off.
I will say, don’t expect the world in terms of adding hours to cook time.
In my experience a full charcoal basket in a SNS at 250F lasts around 5-8 hours – about the same as the charcoal snake.
Slow N’ Sear says in their description: 8+ hours uninterrupted; Which I could see happening.
While these things may feel small in the grand scheme of things, they just make the experience that much easier.
I know beginners can tend to panic when smoking meat and in my opinion, the Slow N’ Sear further dumbs everything down.
I have owned a number of products for Barbecue and can just tell the Slow N’ Sear will last a lifetime; It’s made of 7+ lbs of 16-gauge 430 stainless steel, the welds are clean, and the rivets are securely fastened.
Overall, the Slow N’ Sear is a wonderful product and truly impressed me.
With ALL that Said, is the Slow N’ Sear Necessary?
Absolutely not.
To be honest, if you’re someone who is just grilling hamburgers, hot dogs, and steak, I personally wouldn’t buy it.
I’ve owned and used a Weber kettle for over half my life.
No joke, my previous Weber kettle was so old it didn’t have a heat deflector on the handle, a thermometer on the lid, a lid holder, etc.
Before I replaced my Weber kettle with one of the newer iterations, I simply used the methods above, without fail.
However, if you’re into smoking meat – I’d definitely invest in one.
If you never foresee yourself getting into smoking meat, I’d never buy one.
Update After Using the Slow N’ Sear for 671 Days
Almost all my articles on this site in the past 671 days have used the Slow N’ Sear.
I can confidently say that the Slow N’ Sear is my favorite accessory that I own for the Weber Kettle and I use it almost every time I use the Weber Kettle.
As I originally said above, it simply makes the Weber Kettle easier to use:
- It makes adding charcoal easier – both unlit and lit.
- It makes the addition of a water pan easier – you simply pour liquid into the trough without the need for an aluminum pan.
- The welds and rivets are still securely fastened.
While my Slow N’ Sear obviously shows signs of use after nearly 2 years of use, it still works like the day I bought it and shows no signs of breaking.
Is it still expensive? Unfortunately yes.
Can something like Char-baskets work instead? For sure.
I still find them to be harder to use in comparison.
I know because my best Friend bought them instead and regrets it.
Some of his and my comments on the baskets:
- For longer cooks, even with two connected baskets, we find you have to take the grill grates off still to reload charcoal.
- If your Kettle spikes in temperature, it’s far easier to remove charcoal from the Slow N’ Sear than it is the char baskets.
- If you want to incorporate a water pan, you’d have to do so separately.
- For shorter cooks they work great – granted, I’d even just opt to not use them for a shorter cook.
- The char-baskets just feel flimsy – they’re also 1/4 of the cost so you get what you pay for.
To Me, the Slow N’ Sear just feels like it’s part of the kettle as apposed to being an accessory. I’ll likely continue to use it for the rest of my life.
7 comments
Rob Ferrell
Hey Dylan!
I’ve got two Slow n Sears (an original and a Deluxe.) I know on the SnS website it says to leave the reservoir in (when using the Deluxe) when cooking in the 325+ range and leave it empty.
I’ve been leaving mine out as I’m afraid leaving it in will warp it like my original. I know SnS says the warping is normal but on my original, the inner trough has warped inward reducing my searing area.
My long winded question to you is I’m wondering if by leaving it out during roasting/baking temperature cooks if I’m sacrificing temperature stability and using more coal then necessary. Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Rob
Dylan Clay
Hey Rob!
So I own the Deluxe and I do both – I take it out when I’m high heat grilling or cooking in the 325F+ range, but I’ve also left it in and left it empty.
I’m not sure where they state to leave it in @ 325F+ but even in their marketing photos with the water reservoir:
“It’s also removable, providing extra space for direct high-heat grilling.”
Which to me implies 325F+.
—
So as of late I may have, accidentally, ran over the water reservoir with my Jeep lol. But up until that point I never had the trough warp – even at high heat grilling temps.
Even with one side slightly concave, I still have had no issues.
—
“… leaving it out during roasting/baking temperature cooks if I’m sacrificing temperature stability and using more coal then necessary. Any thoughts?”
Personally, I think having it OUT is best during high heat cooks.
The following is all anecdotal but stuff I’ve observed:
When empty, and during high heat cooks the empty reservoir is just an air gap and stuff closest to that air gap cooks slower – likely meaning it impedes airflow – vs having it out, you improve airflow.
This then leads to:
I feel like you actually use more charcoal when the reservoir is in place and empty during high heat cooks; When you have it out you can build a hotter fire easier.
This is a worthwhile thing to test though Rob and I might need to run some experiments 😊
Rob Ferrell
Thank you SO MUCH for your incredibly detailed response! I had asked this same question on a few of the SnS YouTubers channels and did not get a reply!
This is from the Lighting Instructions on the SnS site:
“Note: If you are using the SnS Deluxe – place the water reservoir in the Slow ‘N Sear® but do not fill it up with water. This allows for a smaller heat zone but large enough to maintain 325-350 degrees.”
I like the idea of only using the reservoir when smoking as the lower temps would lessen the chance for warping. I just didn’t know if not leaving it in when cooking 325+ would cause me to use more charcoal or mess with the temp stability.
Your answer is GOLD and I very much appreciate you taking the time!
Rob
joe clifton
I’m not the trending person on lookout everytime something trends, the sns I wanted so bad, and I hated it. Anyone with common sense can save their 150 bucks and get the same thing. Sns is useless and a complete rip off.
Dylan Clay
Hey Joe,
Sorry to hear it. The SNS is something that people seem to have strong feelings about on both ends of the spectrum.
To be honest though, I’ve tested both of the main alternatives – char baskets (mentioned in the article that my buddy has) and the Smokenator; Both of which I’m not a fan of at all.
I personally don’t find there to be a difference in the food quality between using the SNS and not but the ease of the cook is definitely more dumbed down with the SNS. It just makes using the weber kettle easier in every way.
Also the deluxe is $114.99 – at least for the 22″ Kettle. What do you recommend that a person could “get the same thing.”
-Dylan Clay
NICK GRILLER DILLER
Dylan,
I fully agree with your assessment of the Slow N Sear.
I bought mine in 2016. Actually, I purchased the set (charcoal basket, drip N griddle, easy spin cooking grate. I’ve used weber kittles for over 50 years and find them to wonderful outdoor cookers.
I have the 22″ set and the 18″ set. Not only does the system work better but it preserves my 1980 forest green collectors kettle.
I think the SNS system will serve you well. I moved from the lakes region of NH to the Berkshires of Western Mass with much the same weather. Cheers
Dylan Clay
Cheers Nick!
This article was actually originally published February 2022 and I still have ZERO regrets on the purchase. I just need to post new photos and such to properly update the review.
All the welds are are still solid and it works like the day I bought it. It truly just makes the Weber Kettle so much easier to use.
-Dylan